AIBU to take the batteries out and hide the TV remotes for my dd's 1st birthday party?

[glitterglitters]

So my eldest's first birthday, everybody left halfway through the cake to go and watch a Euro match.

This year we have already had to readjust the date of our youngest's birthday because someone decided to arrange their 31st birthday piss up on the original date.

Now England is through to the quarter-finals and guess what - it's the same date and time as her birthday party.

It's mainly close family and friends coming, but I know my BIL is going to just walk off from the garden BBQ and turn our TV on without asking.
We are having a garden BBQ because husband hates people being in our house and touching our things - mainly because my BIL walks in and turns our TV on without asking so much....

I know we've not been in the quarter-finals for years but how many first birthday parties is she going to get?

Sidenote: If this were the final I'd just flat out cancel. LOL

yabu, who remembers their first birthday party anyway!!

If you hide the remote control or take out the batteries, I imagine he will hunt around regardless and press lots of buttons until the televisions shows the football. If you have it on outside, then he has no need to go indoors and will leave your house alone.

Yeah you’re going to have to either accept it on in the background or rearrange I think.

I speak as someone who watches football only very very occasionally... like when there’s a blue moon or England makes it out of the group stages of a major tournament.

I think you need to give people the option (nicely) not to come tbh. Sorry!

Sounds like you don’t much like your BIL anyway, so what’s the harm if he’s inside watching football while you’re celebrating?

I'd make it quite clear that is a garden party and the footie won't be going on. Then let them make the decision whether they are coming or not.

I'm not a football fan but I'd seriously be tempted to watch England play if the alternative was simpering over a one year old on their birthday tbh. I'd set the TV up in one area and let people choose tbh because really your dd is only interesting to yourself to a great extent.

How on earth do I put it on in the garden??! I have no magic outside TV lol

Oh for goodness sake! Just have the bloody telly on and let people watch it! I'm not a football fan but this is a big deal, really. Could you get people to come over earlier for the party?

Also- your husband doesn't like people in the house? Why not book a venue?

its my DD’s birthday party on saturday too, ive just changed the time of it as it was an hour after it starts 🙈

In the nicest possible way no one cares as much about your child's first birthday than you and her dad, not even your child. I would embrace it and move the Tv into the garden so people can enjoy watching it whilst drinking and eating the food. Otherwise I would accept people might not come or if they do, they will be checking their phone for the score.

These are the options:

1. Suck it up that people will be in your living room and don't make them feel bad about it - it's still nice of them to come and celebrate your daughter's birthday isn't it?

1. Change the party time to midday or something

1. Have the party on Sunday

1. Give people the option to just not come but again say it nicely "totally understand if footie fans disappear to the pub while the games on, come late or not at all - shame about the clash, we'd have changed dates if we'd realised sooner.

I'm not a big football fan but would like to watch saturday's game. There really is every chance it'll be the last one and if you've watched them all so far, you want to watch to the end don't you?

YABU! Can't they watch the match and be with your daughter. She's only going to be playing, she won't remember them not giving her their full attention!

Just embrace it - it won't be as you imagined it but it might be more fun (you never know!). Your one year child won't care either way.

What's with the not wanting guests going in to your house thing?

@notonthestairs Gives husband major anxiety, BIL touches and breaks a lot of stuff.

Just Bil or all guests?

If I was that worried about people touching my stuff/ being in my house I wouldn’t be having a party at home in the first place . Personally I’d ring round and change it to either Saturday evening or Sunday , the baby won’t care .

LOL after all that, I think we're just going to cancel. My mother-in-law has just cancelled citing she wants to watch the football - I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

They better bloody win.

I’d go down the pub if your TV didn’t work, as would loads of people. So if you would prefer half your guests to leave. Honestly, no one else is as bothered about your child as you. The football is far more exciting than a child’s birthday party.

Embrace it and show it or rearrange/cancel.

Don't go ahead but try to prevent people watching, that's a recipe for disaster.

Move the party or suck it up otherwise you’re going to learn the painful truth that your dc is only that important to you.

Yeah I'm one who hates footballs will never watch it but even i would rearrange the party. For either after the game or another day

I think we're just going to cancel. My mother-in-law has just cancelled citing she wants to watch the football

Or you could explain to guests that there will be a tv available to watch the game on whilst the children play in the garden and that way everyone will still spend time with your daughter for her birthday and enjoy the England game. Honestly if you cancel it's not because they want to see the game more, it is because you are being a martyr and making them choose between the game and the party when there is a way to combine the two.